From our neurodivergent readers - My Best and Worst Work Experiences as an Autistic Person

By KJ Boardman

My worst job

My worst job was working retail in a hardware store. This wasn't an environment I could truly thrive in. For one, I didn't have much interest in hardware to start with. 

Over time I began to remember some of the uses of the products, but I never truly felt educated enough about them to be able to be informative to customers. I wasn't working to my strengths, which would be necessary to flourish as an autistic person. 

Additionally, I logically knew how to work the till, but I would become overwhelmed and forget what to do while I was serving customers. I do think my manager got frustrated with me and this further increased my anxiety. 

The job wasn't all bad though, as I enjoyed ordering in new stock because it was methodical and I got to be alone. I was also allowed to ring a support person if I got overwhelmed during a shift. 

I eventually left the store when my boss had a bipolar relapse and breakdown because her behavior affected us, employees, badly. 

My best job

My best job was as an assistant for learning disabled people who were doing self-advocacy. I have always been drawn to people who are a bit different and self-advocacy is something I truly believe in. The job aligned with my values and that's very important for me as an autistic person. 

The idea of the job was that I was there to do any tasks the members couldn't do themselves, such as writing detailed notes. 

What I found best about this job was that it was very inclusive and I was valued for my differences. I felt that I was doing something important and making a positive contribution through my work. 

 My manager, whose working life revolved around people with disabilities, went out of her way to be caring towards me. Working for someone supportive definitely helped me to both believe in myself more, and be a better employee. 

By KJ Boardman